Electric clock.



P. BRUNKO.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.25,1913.

1,080,41 4. Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Vzizzessesr 7y jiwelzion' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ BRUNKO, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ BRUNKO, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Zurich, Switzerland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, and to letters or figures of re erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanism for making and breaking the circuit in electric clocks.

According to this invention the metallic track which constitutes one contact of the circuit is scraped clean by means of a vibratory device having a terminally insulated arm, which rubs upon the track during the time that the second contact-member does not bear against the latter.

A preferred embodiment of. the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a side elevation partly in section, and Fig. 3 a view showing certain parts of the mechanism in a different position from that which they occupy in Figs. 1 and 2.

1 designates a weighted lever, which is loosely mounted on the arbor 2 and is provided with a pawl 3, which engages between the teeth of a ratchet wheel 4, whereby the latter can be rotated.

5 is an armature, fulcrumed on an arbor 6, between the two bobbins 7, 8 of an electromagnet, and furnished at one end with a bent arm 9, which carries a roller 10.

11 and 12 are two arms, adjustably secured at an angle to each other, and loosely mounted on a pin 13. The ends of these arms are provided with insulating pins 14, 15.

Rigidly secured to the armature 5 is alever 16, which is furnished with a contact pin 17 projecting through a slot 18 in the frame plate 19, into the space between the two pins 14, 15 of the arms 11, 12. The second contact 21 is mounted on a pin 2 and is insulated from the frame. This contact has a step 23, and a curved track 24, and is controlled by a spring 25.

26 is a battery connected in circuit, with the electromagnet, contacts and frame plate.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed March 25, 1913. Serial No. 756,714.

The mode of operation of the improved mechanism will now be described. When the various parts of the device occupy the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the weighted lever 1. will rotate the wheel 4 and thus drive the clock-work. The lever will gradually sink and will finally bear upon the roller 10, thus depressing the left-hand end of the armature 5 and turning the latter on its fulcrum 6 into the position shown in Fig. 3. On the armature being thus slowly turned, the contact pin 17 travels toward the right, but is prevented from touching the track 24 by the insulated pin 14 of the arm 11, which holds the track 24 at a distance from the pin 17. When however, the pin 14 reaches the step 23, of the second'contact 21 the latter will rapidly ascend under the action of the spring 25, so that the pin 17 will make electric contact with the track portion 24, as depicted in Fig. 3. The electric circuit of the battery 26 being thus closed, the electromagnet 7, 8 will be excited and will act to pull the armature into a horizontal position, whereupon the arm 9 of the armature will throw the lever 1 upward, into its initial position (Fig; 1). During the oscillation of the armature 5 the contact pin 17 will travel along the track 24, until it contacts with the insulated pin 15 and by pushing the same before it, will turn the device 11, 12 into the position it occupies in Fig. 1, the circuit being interrupted as soon as the insulated pin 14 has ascended the step 23 of the track 24.

The arms of the device 11, 12 might obviously be integral, but the employment of two separate arms enables their adjustment relatively to each other, so that the distance the pin 17 has to travel before engaging the pins 14, 15 can be regulated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an electric clock, a movable electric contact member, a metallic track upon whichthe said member is adapted to bear, and vibratory means oscillated by the contact member and having a terminally insulated arm which slides on the track during the time the circuit is open, substantially as described.

2. In an electric clock, a movable electric contact member, a yielding metallic track upon which the said member is adapted to bear, and vibratory means oscillated by the contact member and having a terminally insula ted arm which slides on the track and momentarily holds it apart from the said contact member, substantially as described.

3. In an electric clock, a movable electric contact member, a yielding metallic track upon which the said member is adapted to bear, and vibratory means having two terminally insulated arms alternately engaged by the contact member, one of which arms slides on the track and momentarily holds it apart from the contact member, substantially as described.

4:. In an electric clocl ,'an oscillatory electric contact member, a yielding stepped metallic track upon which the said member is adapted to bear, and vibratory means having two teri-iinally insulated arms alternately engaged by he contact member, one ofwhich arms slides on the track and holds it apart from the contact member, but releases it on descending the step of the track substantially as described.

5. In an electric clock,'in combination, an oscillatory electric contact member, a spring actuated metallic track upon which the said member is adapted to bear, means for swinging the contact member to and fro, and a vibratory device having two terminally insulated arms alternately engaged by the contact member in its oscillations, one of the arms sliding upon the track and holding it apart from the contact member until the latter pushes it off the track, substantially as described.

(5. In an electric clock, in combination, an electromagnet, a pivotal armature carrying a contact pin, a metallic spring controlled track upon which the pin is adapted to bear, vibratory means having two terminally insulated arms extending into the path of the pin, one on each side thereof, one of the arms pressing upon the track, an electric circuit containing the said electromagnet, pin, and track and means for turning the armature on its pivot, whereby the contact pin pushes one arm of the vibratory device along and off the track and thus closes the circuit, whereupon the electromagnet attracts the armature, the contact pin then engaging the other arm of the Vibratory device and returning the first pushed arm to the track, thus interrupting the circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRANZ BRUNKO.

Witnesses:

CARL GUBLER, ARNOLD LEHNER. 

